Plate carrying a plurality of inscriptions

ABSTRACT

A plate for carrying at least two separate inscriptions comprises a base plate adapted to be fixed on a support. The front face of the base plate has a first inscription. Two flaps are hinged to the base plate and can be folded over the base plate, so that the first inscription is hidden and a second inscription is displayed on a surface of each flap.

United States Patent Bernard July 4, 1972 s41 PLATE CARRYING A PLURALITY 0F 1,685,080 9/1928 Auchincloss ..40/102 R x INSCRIPTIONS 3,323,242 6/1967 Schoenung ..40/61 R X 3,455,044 6/1969 Falconbridge et al... [721 lnvemo" BernardrOTAhssas, France 3,481,060 12/1969 Hartz 22 il d S p 8 970 3,487,573 l/l970 Slovacek ..40/l24.l R [21] Appl. No: 70,447 Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examinerwenceslao J. Contreras Foreign Application Priority Data Att0rneyRobert E. Burns and Emmanuel J. Lobato Sept. 11, 1969 France 6931683 ABSTRACT A plate for carrying at least two separate inscriptions com- [52] US. Cl ..40/5 prises a base plate adapted to be fixed on a Support The from [51] Int. Cl ..G09f 3/20 face of the base plate has a first inscription Two flapsare [58] Field 01 Search ..40/28, 61, 2, 67, 5, 102, 137, hinged to the base plate and can be f ld d over the base plate, 40/129 35 so that the first inscription is hidden and a second inscription is displayed on a surface of each flap. [56] References Cited 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,411,559 4/1922 Ashcroft ..40/61 R X SHEET 10F 2 PATENTEDJUL'4 I972 PLATE CARRYING A PLURALITY OF INSCRIP'IIONS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to plates for carrying at least two inscriptions.

It is known that the regulations in force in certain countries, for example, in France, stipulate that a vehicle shall be provided with a nationality plate and sometimes a second plate showing the speed limit to which some categories of drivers, for example, learners and lorry drivers are permitted to reach. The second plate, in the case of ,leamer drivers can become redundant. 5

AIM OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is the provision of a single plate, which carries at least two separate inscriptions so that as one inscription becomes redundant, the plate can be converted to display the second inscription.

Preferably, two flaps are provided, one on each of two op-' posite sides of the base plate, the rear surface of each flap having a complementary part of the second inscription. The first inscription may be partially on the front face of the base plate and partially on the front surface of each of the flaps.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, reference being made to the Figures of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a number plate, the flaps of which are open in order that one of these inscriptions can be seen;

FIG. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the plate, the flaps of which being folded to allow the second inscription to be seen; and

FIG. 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plate for vehicles is made, for example, in one piece of plastics material and includes a base plate 1 having a central part la of extra thickness extending outwardly from the front surface of the base plate; The base plate 1 is formed with holes (not shown) for receiving screws for attachment to a vehicle. The part 1a has formed thereon, indicia in the form of parts, 2, 3 of the numerals and 9" which form a first inscription on the plate.

As shown, the numerals 0" and 9 are each divided by a vertical edge of the part la. Pivotally attached to each edge of the part la is a flap 4, 5. The flaps 4, 5 have the complementary parts 30, 2a of the numerals 9" and 0 respectively, on their front surfaces so that in the position shown in FIG. 1, the complete numerals 9" and 0" are seen.

The rear surfaces 4b, 5b of the flaps 4, 5 has the second inscription which is an F. A part 6 of the F is formed on the rear surface 4b and a part 6a is formed on the rear surface 5b. When the flaps 4, 5 are folded over the part la, the second inscription F" is seen as shown in FIG. 3.

The flap 5 has a recess SC on the rear surface 5b to accommodate the overlapping portion of flap 4. Thus a flat surface is attained when the flaps 4 and 5 are folded over the part la. For the same purpose, the base plate 1 can be provided with extra thicknesses at ends 7, 8 in such a way that in a folded position of the flaps 4, 5, the surface receiving the second inscription can be flat.

The maintainance in folded or unfolded position of the flaps can be ensured by fixing means such as press studs, hooks, pins, self adhesive means or magnets.

Although reference has been made in the particular description herein to a plate for vehicles, the invention can be applied to any convertible plate or disc for advertising purposes, notices, signals and the like.

Modification can be made to the above described embodiment, for example, the flaps 4, 5 can be pivotally mounted on the vertical edges of the part 1a by separate hinges. Also, only one flap need be provided, which single flap can be superposed over the front face of the base plate. 1

What is claimed is:

l. A plate for carrying at least two separate inscriptions, comprising a base plate adapted to be connected to a support and having on a front surface at least a part of a first inscription, and two flaps pivotally mounted on the base plate, each flap being pivotable between a first position in which the first inscription is displayed and a second position in which the flap overlies a part of the front surface, the flaps, when both in the second position, hiding the first inscription and displaying a second inscription, complementary parts ofwhich second inscription are on a rear surface of each flap, said flaps overlapping one another in the second position and one flap being recessed to receive the overlapping part of the second flap.

2. A plate according to claim 1, wherein the base plate is made in one piece, of plastics material.

3. A plate according to claim 1, wherein fixing means are. provided for maintaining the flaps in the first and second positions.

4. A plate according to claim 1, for attachment to a vehicle, the first inscription being a number which represents the speed limitation of the vehicle and the second inscription being a letter indicating the country in which the vehicle is registered.

5. A plate for carrying at least two separate inscriptions, comprising a base plate adapted to be mounted on a support and having a front surface area bearing a part of a first inscription, a first flap hingedly mounted on the base plate on a first hinge line at one side of said front surface area and having on its front surface another part of said first inscription and on its rear face a part of a second inscription and a second flap hingedly mounted on the base plate on a second hinge line at the opposite side of said front surface area of the base plate, said second hinge line being spaced from and parallel to said first hinge line, said second flap having on its front surface a further part of said first inscription and on its rear face another part of said second inscription, said flaps being swingable about said hinge lines between a first position in which said flaps extend laterally from said front surface area of said base plate to display said first inscription on the front surfaces of said base plate and said flaps and a second position in which said flaps overly said front surface area of the base plate to hide said first inscription and display said second inscription on the rear surfaces of said flaps.

6. A plate according to claim 5, wherein said flaps partially overlap one another when in said second position and one flap is recessed to receive the overlapping part of the second flap.

7 A plate according to claim 5, wherein said base plate has side portions extending laterally beyond said hinge lines to underlie said flaps when in said first position.

8. A plate according to claim 7, wherein said laterally extending side portions of said base plate are offset rearwardly from said front surface area of the base plate so that the front surfaces of said flaps when in said first position are at least approximately in the same plane as said front surface area of said base plate.

9. A plate according to claim 5, wherein said flaps when in said second position only partially coverthe front surface of said base plate between said hinge lines and in which portions of said base plate not covered by said flaps when in said second position are raised above said front surface area bearing part of said first inscription.

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1. A plate for carrying at least two separate inscriptions, comprising a base plate adapted to be connected to a support and having on a front surface at least a part of a first inscription, and two flaps pivotally mounted on the base plate, each flap being pivotable between a first position in which the first inscription is displayed and a second position in which the flap overlies a part of the front surface, the flaps, when both in the second position, hiding the first inscription and displaying a second inscription, complementary parts of which second inscription are on a rear surface of each flap, said flaps overlapping one another in the second position and one flap being recessed to receive the overlapping part of the second flap.
 2. A plate according to claim 1, wherein the base plate is made in one piece, of plastics material.
 3. A plate according to claim 1, wherein fixing means are provided for maintaining the flaps in the first and second positions.
 4. A plate according to claim 1, for attachment to a vehicle, the first inscription being a number which represents the speed limitation of the vehicle and the second inscription being a letter indicating the country in which the vehicle is registered.
 5. A plate for carrying at least two separate inscriptions, comprising a base plate adapted to be mounted on a support and having a front surface area bearing a part of a first inscription, a first flap hingedly mounted on the base plate on a first hinge line at one side of said front surface area and having on its front surface another part of said first inscription and on its rear face a part of a second inscription and a second flap hingedly mounted on the base plate on a second hinge line at the opposite side of said front surface area of the base plate, said second hinge line being spaced from and parallel to said first hinge line, said second flap having on its front surface a further part of said first inscription and on its rear face another part of said second inscription, said flaps being swingable about said hinge lines between a first position in which said flaps extend laterally from said front surface area of said base plate to display said first inscription on the front surfaces of said base plate and said flaps and a second position in which said flaps overly said front surface area of the base plate to Hide said first inscription and display said second inscription on the rear surfaces of said flaps.
 6. A plate according to claim 5, wherein said flaps partially overlap one another when in said second position and one flap is recessed to receive the overlapping part of the second flap.
 7. A plate according to claim 5, wherein said base plate has side portions extending laterally beyond said hinge lines to underlie said flaps when in said first position.
 8. A plate according to claim 7, wherein said laterally extending side portions of said base plate are offset rearwardly from said front surface area of the base plate so that the front surfaces of said flaps when in said first position are at least approximately in the same plane as said front surface area of said base plate.
 9. A plate according to claim 5, wherein said flaps when in said second position only partially cover the front surface of said base plate between said hinge lines and in which portions of said base plate not covered by said flaps when in said second position are raised above said front surface area bearing part of said first inscription. 